Two young Canadians were playing tennis one day and decided that by the end of the match they would decide on what kind of business they should start.
Mackenzie King had been to a wedding and was the only man wearing a bow tie. He got so many compliments he thought selling them might be a good idea. So, a little over a year ago he and Matthew White launched High Tide Bow Ties.
‘People want to be a little more funky’
“Bow ties are now the new popular man’s accessory to wear,” says White. “Ties are kind of dying down a little bit. People want to be a little more funky.”
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The ties range in design from a black denim model to others patterned in pixels, animated characters, and other colourful designs. They are hand made in Canada from locally-source fabrics. Customers can also have old ties refashioned into bow ties or ask for a particular image. They can even send an digital image file that will be turned into a bow tie.
“All of our bow ties are really unique,” says White. “We really enjoy just trying to find ones that look kind of out there but also that look fashionable, that someone would actually wear.”
Business doing well online, in stores
Most of the business is done online, but bow ties that have been placed in stores in the nation’s capital, Ottawa are selling well. So, White and King say they are putting a lot of effort into placing their product in more shops. The ties cost $35 which is about half of what bow ties usually fetch.
‘Don’t want to lose authenticity’
For now, there will be no dedicated store for High Tide Bow Ties. White says bow ties are in fashion now and the company is in a good position. While he and King would like to expand, they don’t want to have their ties made overseas. Says White, “We don’t want to lose the authenticity of our company…it’s important for us to keep our image as a local company.”
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